Movie camera with delayed release and scene limiting circuits

ABSTRACT

In a movie camera, an energizing circuit including a supply source for the camera, a drive motor included into such circuit, releasing device having a rest position in which it is operable to open the energizing circuit and an operating position in which it is operable to close the energizing circuit, the releasing device including a manually operable releasing member having an open and a closed position and included in the energizing circuit, a control magnet in circuit relationship with the motor, with the supply source and with the releasing member, a timing network connectable across the releasing member for affecting the energization of the control magnet after a predetermined time interval while the releasing member is in the open position.

United States Patent Anderl 5] Sept. 19, 1972 [54] MOVIE CAMERA WITHDELAYED 3,287,608 11/1966 Pokrant ..307/293 X RELEASE AND SCENE LIMITING3,506,881 4/1970 Leary ..307/293 x CIRCUITS Peter Anderl, Munich,Germany Niezoldi & Kramer Gmbll, Munich- Allach, Gennany Filed: Jan. 9,1970 Appl. No.: 1,740

Inventor:

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 9, 1969 Germany ..P 19 00 877.6

US. Cl. ..352/175, 307/293, 352/178 Int. Cl. ..G03b 15/00 Field ofSearch ..352/175, 174, 178; 242/208; 307/253, 293; 328/78; 317/142 TD,142 R References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1962 Leuschke ..352/1753/1966 Krumbein ..352/175X Primary Examiner-Louis R. Prince AssistantExaminer-Denis E. Corr Attorney-Ernest F. Marmorek [5 7] ABSTRACT In amovie camera, an energizing circuit including a supply source for thecamera, a drive motor included into such circuit, releasing devicehaving a rest position in which it is operable to open the energizingcircuit and an operating position in which it is operable to close theenergizing circuit, the releasing device including a manually operablereleasing member having an open and a closed position and included inthe energizing circuit, a control magnet in circuit relationship withthe motor, with the supply source and with the releasing member, atiming network connectable across the releasing member for affecting theenergization of the control magnet after a predetermined time intervalwhile the releasing member is in the open position.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEB E 1 1812 3.692 393 SHEET 2 0F 2MOVIE CAMERA WITH DELAYED RELEASE AND SCENE LIMITING CIRCUITS FIELD OFTHE INVENTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relatesto a movie camera having a releasing device therein switchable tovarious positions to accommodate the operation of the camera atdifferent modes of operation and which includes an electro-magneticallycontrolled releasing member which in its rest position locks the cameradrive by opening the motor circuit and in which upon the manualoperation of such releasing member or of a releasing key, the releasingdevice is transferred into an operating position in which the cameradrive is released from its locked position by the closing of the motorcircuit by means of a control magnet.

Movie cameras of such type do not provide the possibility to take thepicture, that is, to make a movie of the person who is handling thecamera unlike the still picture cameras which are now constructed tomake selftimed pictures of the person operating the camera.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of the presentinvention to provide a movie camera which is capable of taking selftimedtype moving picture of the person operating the camera.

According to the invention, the above object is met by providing atiming or delayed release device with it or attachable to the moviecamera and which is connectable across the manual release mechanism andin circuit relationship with a control magnet energizing the releaseapparatus of the camera.

The provision of such timing or delayed release device offers anopportunity to the person making the movie to have sufficient time tojoin the scene being filmed, that is, either to have his own picturetaken or to participate in a group picture. With the provision of thedelayed release device, the person making the picture still has to leavethe scene in order to stop the camera. This is not disturbing in a casewhen the departure of the person operating the camera from the scene andthe remaining of the others within the scene represents a scene asdesired.

However, in most cases, the departure of the person operating the camerafrom the scene is disturbing and it becomes necessary to cut the sceneportion in order to provide for a smooth continuity between subsequentscenes.

In order to eliminate the last-mentioned difficulties, in accordancewith another aspect of the invention, there is provided in addition tothe delayed release device also a time circuit which functions as ascene limiting device and which determines the period during which ascene is filmed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will become more readilyapparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereofshown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration partly with block diagrams of thereleasing apparatus of a movie camera having an electro-magnetic controldevice therein;

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating the timing or delayed releasecircuit;

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram similar to the one shown in FIG. 2 includingalso a scene limiting circuit; and

FIG. 4 is a further embodiment of the circuit shown in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to FIG. 1 it isseen that the electromagnetically controlled releasing apparatus of amovie camera substantially comprises an electronically or magneticallyconstructed regulator including a timer in the form of a pulse generator29 and a pulse shaper 30 as described in more detail in application Ser.No. 790,663, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,603,678 and a control magnet 2 havingan armature which opens or closes a magnetic switch 3 associatedtherewith as described hereinafter.

The exciting circuit of control magnet 2 includes a power source 4, aselector switch 5 associated with a slider 32a of a variable resistor 32for selecting a desired mode of operation as well as a releasing ortriggering device 6. Control magnet 2 closes an associated magneticswitch 3 in accordance with the time intervals selected by means ofswitch 5 and resistor 32 and by means of operating the releasing device6 and thereby throws into a circuit connected parallel with the controlmagnet 2 a drive motor 7 which in turn sets the camera drive intomotion. As it has been disclosed in the aforementioned U. S. Pat. No.3,603,678 the pulse generator 29 controlled by the switch 5 and variableresistor 32 is employed merely for the generation of trigger pulses forthe release controlling magnets 2. The adjustable time intervals betweenrespective trigger pulses determine the desired mode of operation suchas the so-called time lapse effect. It is apparent, however, that manymodifications can be made in the devices for the production of suchadjustable trigger pulses.

By inserting into the circuit a timing or delayed release device as wellas a scene limiting device shown in block diagram form as box 8 in FIG.1 and described in more detail hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 2-4,the manual releasing device 6 becomes isolated from the above-mentionedexciting circuit and its function is taken over by the delayed releaseor scene limiting devices 8. The delayed release or scene limitingdevices 8 are connected in circuit relationship with the releasingapparatus and exciting current circuits of the camera by means of a plugconnection represented by contacts 9, l0 and 11, 12 including normallyclosed or spacing contacts 13 and 14.

It is also possible by providing a simple plug connection or switchinstead of the plug connection with an included spacing contact, thatthe delayed release or scene limiting device 8 is inserted into theexciting circuit of the camera without the isolation of the releasingkey 6. In this case the operation of the releasing key 6 willshort-circuit of the delayed release or scene limiting circuits.

FIG. 2 shows a circuit diagram of the box 8 of FIG. 1 which in theembodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes only a timing or delayed releasecircuit. A start switch 15 through its contact 15.1 connects a timing ordifferential circuit portion 16 to the positive pole of the currentsource over plug connection 12. The timing or differential circuit 16includes a capacitor 17 a variable resistor 18 and a pair of fixedresistors 19 and 20 connected to the base electrode of a switchingtransistor 21. The collector of switching transistor 21 is returned overstarting switch 15, more particularly through contact 15.2 to the baseelectrode of a second switching transistor 23, the collector and emitterelectrodes of which are connected to terminals 12 and of the plugconnector discussed in connection with FIG. 1.

Upon closing of the starting switch 15, at the instant of the closingthe full positive potential appears at the base electrode of thepnptransistor 21 as coupled to it by the charge-free capacitor 17 At thesame time the base-emitter voltage of this transistor is equal to zerowhich means that the transistor is closed, that is, it is in anon-conducting state.

The base voltage of the transistor 21 drops during the charging periodof capacitor 17 to a point until the base-emitter voltage of thetransistor 21 reaches the switching threshold or level thereof,whereupon transistor 21 starts conducting.

When switching transistor 21 conducts, the current flows through itscollector-emitter path whereby its collector electrode assumes apositive potential very nearly the same as that of the emitterelectrode. As a result of this, the base-emitter voltage of the secondcomplementary switching transistor 23 which at the non-conducting orclosed state of switching transistor 21 is near to zero, will exceed itsthreshold level. Therefore, switching transistor 23 starts conductingand closes the exciting current circuit of control magnet 2.

The term delayed release represents a time interval which is necessaryfor the base-emitter voltage of the switching transistor 21 to reach itsthreshold level. Such time interval depends from the time constant ofthe differential or timing circuit 16 and it can be varied by means ofthe variable resistor 18.

FIG. 3 in addition to FIG. 2 includes a so-called scene limiting featurein the form of a differential circuit 24 connected between the collectorelectrode of switching transistor 21 through contact 15.2 of the startswitch and between the base electrode of switching transistor 23. Thisdifferential circuit 24 or time circuit, comprises a capacitor 25, avariable resistor 26 and a pair of fixed resistors 27 and 28.

At the instant of the switching of transistor 21 into its open state,the base-emitter voltage of the second switching transistor 23 reachesthrough the charge-free capacitor 25 its highest possible value andexceeds the switching threshold level of transistor 23 and makes itconducting. But during the charging of capacitor 25, the base-emittervoltage drops only to an extent that it will again fall below thethreshold level of transistor 23. As a result, transistor 23 will closeand interrupts thereby the exciting circuit of control magnet 2 whileswitching transistor 21 is conducting.

The scene limiting period represents the time during which thebase-emitter voltage of switching transistor 23 reaches or crosses belowits switching threshold level after the switching transistor 21 hasopened. Such time period depends from the time constant of the timingcircuit 24 and it can be adjusted by means of the variable resistor 26.

FIG. 4 differs from FIG. 3 in the outlay of its both differential ortiming circuits 30 and 35 as well as in the different doping of thecorresponding switching transistors.

Differential circuit 30 comprises a capacitor 31, a variable resistor 32and a pair of fixed resistors 33 and 34 and substantially correspondsthereby to the differential circuits 16 in FIGS. 2 and 3. Differentialmember 35 comprising capacitor 36, a variable resistor 37 and a pair offixed resistors 38, 39 and 40 is intended to fulfill the function of thedifferential circuit 24 of FIG. 3.

At the same time resistors 32, 33 and 34 of differential circuit 30serve as base voltage dividers and the resistors 38, 37 and 39 of thedifferential circuit 35 serve to fix the operating point of the firstswitching transistor 41.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is preferably intended for fixedconnection into the movie camera and wherein the positive terminal ofsource 4 is connected by main switch 42 of the camera directly with thedelayed release or scene limiting circuit portions and thereby the startswitch 15 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 becomes obviated. Also, here theexciting circuit of the control magnet 2 is affected by switchingtransistor 43 which is complementary to switching transistor 41.

The embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are preferably made asself-contained units which can be pluged into the camera and which areonly optional parts of a movie camera and may be constructed havingtheir own separate supply source or use the supply source of the cameraas described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3.

From the above, it is apparent that although the invention has beendescribed hereinbefore with respect to certain specific embodimentsthereof, it is evident that many modifications and changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, by theappended claims, we intend to cover all such modifications and changesas fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

lclaim:

In a motion picture camera, an energizing circuit adaptable to beconnected to a supply source for energizing said camera, a drive motorincluded into said circuit, releasing means switchable to a number ofoperating positions for defining various modes of operation of saidcamera, said releasing means including an electromagnetically operablereleasing branch circuit common for all said operating positions andhaving an open and a closed position in which it opens and closes saidenergizing circuit, a control magnet to control said energizing circuitin its relationship with said motor, with said supply source and withsaid releasing member, a manual trigger included in said releasingbranch circuit and having an open and a closed position for affectingthe energization of said control magnet when actuated, a timing networkconnected across said trigger for afi'ecting the energization of saidcontrol magnet after a predetermined time interval while said trigger isin said open position.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said timing networkcomprises first and second transistor means, each including a base, anemitter and a collector electrode and connected for alternateconduction, a delay circuit including a differential portion connectedto the base electrode of said first transistor means for firing saidfirst transistor means after a predetermined time period, said secondtransistor means being fired after said first transistor means is fullyconductive, said control magnet being connected into thecollector-emitter circuit of said second transistor means.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein said differentialportion comprises capacitor means and a variable resistor meansconnected to said capacitor means for varying the charge time of saidcapacitor means.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3, further including manuallyoperable start switch means for connecting said timing network to saidpower supply source and marking the beginning of said time interval.

5. In a motion picture camera, an energizing circuit including a supplysource for said camera, a drive motor included into said circuit,releasing means including a manually operable trigger and a releasingcircuit having an open and a closed position and included in saidenergizing circuit, a control magnet to control said energizing circuitin its relationship with said motor, with said supply source and withsaid releasing circuit, a timing network connectable across saidreleasing member for affecting the energization of said control magnetafter a predetermined time interval while said trigger is in said openposition, said timing network comprising first and second transistormeans, each including a base, an emitter and a collector electrode andconnected for alternate conduction, a delay circuit including adifferential portion connected to the base electrode of said firsttransistor means for firing said first transistor means after apredetermined time period, said second transistor means being firedafter said first transistor means is fully conductive, said controlmagnet being connected into the collector-emitter circuit of said secondtransistor means, said timing network including a limiting portion forlimiting energization of said control magnet to a predetermined sceneinterval, said limiting portion comprising differential networkincluding capacitor means and a variable resistor means connected tosaid capacitor means to vary the charging time thereof, said limitingportion being connected between the collector circuit of said firsttransistor means and the base electrode of said second transistor means.

6. A timing network connectable across a manually operable releasingmember of a motion picture camera for affecting energization of thedriving motor and the releasing apparatus of said camera after apredetermined interval and for limiting energization of said motor toanother predetermined interval while said releasing member is in an offposition, comprising first and second transistor means, each including abase, an emitter and a collector electrode and connected for alternateconduction, a delay circuit including a differential portion connectedto the base electrode of said first transistor means for firing saidfirst transistor means after a predetermined time period, said secondtransistor means being fired after said first transistor means is fullyconductive.

7. A timing network as claimed in claim 6, wherein said differentialportion comprises capacitor means and a variable resistor eans connectedt said capacitor means for varying e charge time 0 said capacitor means.

8. A timing network as claimed in claim 7, further including manuallyoperable start switch means for connecting said timing network to apower supply source and marking the beginning of said time interval.

9. The timing network as claimed in claim 6, comprising a plug-typeterminal portion for connecting said timing network to said camera.

10. A timing network connectable across a manually operable triggermember of a motion picture camera for affecting energization of thedriving motor and the releasing apparatus of said camera after apredetermined interval and for limiting energization of said motor toanother predetermined interval while said releasing member is in an offposition, comprising first and second transistor means, each including abase, an emitter and a collector electrode and connected for alternateconduction, a delay circuit including a dif ferential portion connectedto the base electrode of said first transistor means for firing saidfirst transistor means after a predetermined time period, said secondtransistor means being fired after said first transistor means is fullyconductive, said timing network including a limiting portion forlimiting energization of said motor to a predetermined scene interval,said limiting portion comprising differential network including acapacitor means and a variable resistor means connected to saidcapacitor means to vary the charging time thereof, said limiting portionbeing connected between the collector circuit of said first transistormeans and the base electrode of said second transistor means.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said timing networkcomprises first and second transistor means, each including a base, anemitter and a collector electrode and connected for alternateconduction, a delay circuit including a differential portion connectedto the base electrode of said first transistor means for firing saidfirst transistor means after a predetermined time period, said secondtransistor means being fired after said first transistor means is fullyconductive, said control magnet being connected into thecollector-emitter circuit of said second transistor means.
 3. Thecombination as claimed in claim 2, wherein said differential portioncomprises capacitor means and a variable resistor means connected tosaid capacitor means for varying the charge time of said capacitormeans.
 4. The combination as claimed in claim 3, further includingmanually operable start switch means for connecting said timing networkto said power supply source and marking the beginning of said timeinterval.
 5. In a motion picture camera, an energizing circuit includinga supply source for said camera, a drive motor included into saidcircuit, releasing means including a manually operable trigger and areleasing circuit having an open and a closed position and included insaid energizing circuit, a control magnet to control said energizingcircuit in its relationship with said motor, with said supply source andwith said releasing circuit, a timing network connectable across saidreleasing member for affecting the energization of said control magnetafter a predetermined time interval while said trigger is in said openposition, said timing network comprising first and second transistormeans, each including a base, an emitter and a collector electrode andconnected for alternate conduction, a delay circuit including adifferenTial portion connected to the base electrode of said firsttransistor means for firing said first transistor means after apredetermined time period, said second transistor means being firedafter said first transistor means is fully conductive, said controlmagnet being connected into the collector-emitter circuit of said secondtransistor means, said timing network including a limiting portion forlimiting energization of said control magnet to a predetermined sceneinterval, said limiting portion comprising differential networkincluding capacitor means and a variable resistor means connected tosaid capacitor means to vary the charging time thereof, said limitingportion being connected between the collector circuit of said firsttransistor means and the base electrode of said second transistor means.6. A timing network connectable across a manually operable releasingmember of a motion picture camera for affecting energization of thedriving motor and the releasing apparatus of said camera after apredetermined interval and for limiting energization of said motor toanother predetermined interval while said releasing member is in an offposition, comprising first and second transistor means, each including abase, an emitter and a collector electrode and connected for alternateconduction, a delay circuit including a differential portion connectedto the base electrode of said first transistor means for firing saidfirst transistor means after a predetermined time period, said secondtransistor means being fired after said first transistor means is fullyconductive.
 7. A timing network as claimed in claim 6, wherein saiddifferential portion comprises capacitor means and a variable resistormeans connected to said capacitor means for varying the charge time ofsaid capacitor means.
 8. A timing network as claimed in claim 7, furtherincluding manually operable start switch means for connecting saidtiming network to a power supply source and marking the beginning ofsaid time interval.
 9. The timing network as claimed in claim 6,comprising a plug-type terminal portion for connecting said timingnetwork to said camera.
 10. A timing network connectable across amanually operable trigger member of a motion picture camera foraffecting energization of the driving motor and the releasing apparatusof said camera after a predetermined interval and for limitingenergization of said motor to another predetermined interval while saidreleasing member is in an off position, comprising first and secondtransistor means, each including a base, an emitter and a collectorelectrode and connected for alternate conduction, a delay circuitincluding a differential portion connected to the base electrode of saidfirst transistor means for firing said first transistor means after apredetermined time period, said second transistor means being firedafter said first transistor means is fully conductive, said timingnetwork including a limiting portion for limiting energization of saidmotor to a predetermined scene interval, said limiting portioncomprising differential network including a capacitor means and avariable resistor means connected to said capacitor means to vary thecharging time thereof, said limiting portion being connected between thecollector circuit of said first transistor means and the base electrodeof said second transistor means.